Akili Smith and Peter Warrick celebrate a TD pass. (Michael E. Keating photos) | ZOOM |

        Bengals players and coach Dick LeBeau applauded quarterback Akili Smith's performance Sunday against the Steelers, but LeBeau still wouldn't say who he will start against Arizona.

        In his return to the starting lineup, Smith completed half of his passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, and his some teammates said he was as sharp and confident on the field as he's been all season.

        Smith was benched a week ago at New England and wouldn't have played in Sunday's 48-28 loss to Pittsburgh if veteran Scott Mitchell would have been healthy.

        Smith, for his part, hasn't talked to the media in two weeks and maintained that posture after the game.

Smith joins teammates and Steelers in a post-game prayer. | ZOOM |

        Mitchell's condition was upgraded from questionable to probable for the game Sunday against the Cardinals. He strained a knee ligament at the end of the New England game.

        Who starts next game?

        “That will depend on looking at Scott's knee a little bit,” LeBeau said. “I know Scott did a good job

        the week before, so the situation is better there.

        “We'll have to see how the week shakes down. I'm not ready to make a statement on that right now.”

        Smith was 10-of-20 passing against the Steelers for 129 yards and one touchdown pass, his first in 30 quarters. It was his fifth 100-yard passing day of the year in 11 starts. He left two games because of injury and one because he was benched.

        Sunday, he was in command of the offense.

        “He's making audibles. He knew what fronts they were in. He did a good job with that,” center Rich Braham said. “Just being on the field with him, the first three quarters when we're still in the game, he knew what he was doing. It's a big improvement. It showed in his performance.”

        Smith also showed some frustration.

        In the fourth quarter, after he threw hard behind Peter Warrick for an incompletion, Smith pointed at Warrick, and the two players exchanged heated words.

        Warrick, who has said Mitchell has more touch on his passes, shook his hands after Smith's pass glazed his fingers.

        “There's nothing wrong with that because that's something they've got to get on the same page,” Braham said. “Over time, they will, hopefully.”

        Warrick, who also didn't speak with reporters afterward, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter from Smith. It was Smith's third of the year.

        Smith is now 118-of-267 passing for 1,253 yards and six interceptions this season.

        “I think we saw what Akili can do,” LeBeau said.

        Danny Farmer was the leading receiver with three catches for 59 yards.

        “He threw the ball pretty well,” Farmer said of Smith. “He put the ball where peo ple could make some plays. That's all you can ask ofquarterback.

        “Maybe last week helped him out a little bit. He got to sit back and kind of see how things were going ... ”

        Smith also added to two other dubious statistics Sunday.

        He was sacked four times for 29 yards and now has been sacked 36 times.

        He also had three more fumbles and lost one. The one lost fumble gave him seven for the season, six of which have come on sacks.

        Smith's 14 fumbles put him seven off the NFL record of 21.

Steelers 48, Bengals 28 LeBeau undecided at QB Dillon shocker: 'I'd love to stay here' Steelers slash apart defense Mitchell's knee keeps him out Bengals-Steelers Statistics Giants 31, Cardinals 7

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